


where you came from

by fuckyousledge



Series: McAuliffe University [1]
Category: The Pacific (TV)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - College/University, Established Relationship, Explicit Sexual Content, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, M/M, Past Child Abuse, Physical Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-28
Updated: 2016-08-28
Packaged: 2018-08-11 11:40:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7890382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fuckyousledge/pseuds/fuckyousledge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Snafu invites Gene back to New Orleans for spring break their sophomore year. Things don't go as planned when his father gets home early.</p>
            </blockquote>





	where you came from

It starts off innocently enough. Spring break's coming up, Gene's got no plans, and one day over lunch, Snafu's looking at him in a strange way and surprises him with a question.

"You wanna come back to Louisiana with me? Show you around 'Nawlins?"

It's never come up before. Snafu's always avoided committing to coming to visit Gene's family, and his stories about what he'd done over Christmas break were vague and had an air of untruth to them, even if it's totally possible that black eye and split lip came from a bar fight. He talks about the city sometimes, painting an interesting picture of Bourbon Street and the Mississippi, accidentally inhaling powdered sugar when eating fresh beignets, and Gene's always wondered what it would be like to experience it with him, so of course he's going to say yes. For anyone else, it wouldn't be as big a sign of trust, but for Snaf... it's kind of a huge deal to be let in like this.

"Sure," he says with a grin, startling a smile from Snaf. He's clearly trying to pass it off as smug, but he really just looks pleased.

(Maybe he's just imagining it, but there was something anxious in his best friend's pale eyes while he waited for Gene's reaction that's gone in an instant when he says he'll come.)

They take Gene's truck the day classes let out, talking the whole way about nothing. Snaf complains about the heat, the radio station Gene selected, teases him about the prospect of giving him road head, so it doesn't go unnoticed that he starts getting quiet once they turn off the highway and start driving through neighborhoods. Gene could've written it off as him just being careful about making sure they don't miss the turn, but he knows him too well to ignore the tension in his shoulders and the firm set of his mouth.

"Take a left up here," he says finally, and Gene does, pulling into a neighborhood of run down houses that all look more or less the same. A couple look like they're still bearing the scars of hurricane damage, and it makes Gene think about what Snafu had told him about Katrina, and what it'd been like to hold his boyfriend while he trembled and winced during the storm that'd hit campus earlier this year.

"This one."

Snafu points out the building and Gene pulls into the driveway. It's especially shabby and small, definitely nothing to write home about. There's a strange set to Snafu's shoulders when he steps out of the truck and goes to get his bag out of the back without glancing over at Gene.

"My old man's out on a job so we got the place to ourselves."

Snafu leads the way in, unlocking the door and stepping in with a caution that kind of makes it seem like he's _not_ sure they're going to be alone, but the house is empty. Everything about it seems... tired. Not maintained. The television's a model that looks like it's at least fifteen years old, maybe more, and the couch could stand to be replaced. There are empty beer bottles all over the place, a couple old newspapers, piles of opened mail on what must be the dining room table, and everything just seems run down, unloved, cluttered. It's a far cry from the place Gene grew up in, but he's known they've come from different worlds for a long time, so he's not exactly surprised.

Snaf's bedroom is sort of more of the same. There are a few things littered about that hint at the kid he used to be - a ratty poster of Megan Fox from _Transformers_ on the wall, a couple toy cars in a heap on a shelf, broken video game controllers in a corner, a Batman t-shirt crumpled on the floor - but otherwise, Gene can tell just from looking that Snaf doesn't and maybe never has spent much time here.

"It ain't much," Snafu tries to say after they both set their bags down, obviously self conscious, and Gene comes over to kiss him gently before he starts second guessing asking him to come home with him even more than he already is.

"It's fine," because it is, he's really not as picky as Snaf probably thinks he is and he's just happy to be here with him. Snaf smiles, bashful.

They tour the city. Snaf takes him out for beignets for breakfast and (with the help of some fake IDs, not that every bar checks for them) gets shitfaced on Bourbon Street, forcing Gene to stop in almost every alley on the way back to sloppily make out with him. Gene convinces him to go to the WWII Museum and the site of the Battle of New Orleans, and at the end of each day, they wander back to Snafu's father's house and have sex as loud and often as they want without fear of dormmates overhearing or being interrupted by Burgie or Sid.

It's good. Perfect. Like they have a chance to be in their own little world without worrying about homework or part time jobs or whether or not Bill's going to wind up picking another fight at a frat party and throw up on anyone afterward.

Until one night, when they're half naked and tangled together in Snafu's bed, already dozing. There's the unmistakable sound of tires on the gravel driveway rumbling through the thin walls, and Snafu springs up instantly, scrambling out of bed. Gene stirs, slow to wake up, blearily staring at his boyfriend as Snaf quickly throws on a shirt and pants.

"What's goin' on?" he mumbles, voice slurred with sleep. Snafu doesn't answer, dipping close to press a kiss to his forehead before heading outside.

Gene rolls onto his stomach, burrowing into the pillow, almost ready to just fall back to sleep when he catches the sound of a voice outside.

"What the fuck're you doin' here?"

It's unfamiliar, angry, gravelly, and clearly drunk. The accent, and the way Snafu responds to it makes Gene wake up fully.

Snafu's father is home.

Apparently, Snafu's just as surprised as Gene is.

"Thought you weren't gonna be home."

It's strange, listening to the conversation through the thin wall. Snafu doesn't quite sound like himself. There's something meek about his voice, subtle enough that Gene's not sure he'd notice if he didn't know Snaf as well as he does. It's not that he sounds afraid of him, really, but there's something there that's different from his usual bravado, and not like when he's disarmed by something Gene's said or done.

Gene doesn't like it.

"You finally get your ass kicked outta that fancy college?"

"It's spring break, Dad," Snafu says, almost gently. It still doesn't sound right.

"Well excuse me, _college boy_ ," and how weird is it, to hear someone calling Snaf that when it's usually an insult he throws at Webster. "Some of us don't _get_ a fuckin' vacation after high school."

"You don't gotta act like it's my fault you didn't go to college." The way it comes out, even through the thin walls, makes it clear this is something Snafu's said about a million times.

"You think you're so much better than me," his father slurs.

Snaf laughs, loud and mean, but exasperated more than anything, and Gene can picture the eye roll that's got to accompany it. "Jesus Christ, I knew you'd be fuckin' wasted."

"You shut your goddamn mouth, Merriell-"

Gene pulls on pants and a t-shirt, and slips on his shoes. The argument's getting more heated, and when he steps out of the house and into the driveway, it's enough of a distraction that both Sheltons turn to look at him. Allen Shelton is a big guy, with meaty hands and a hard, weather beaten face. There are sweat stains on his shirt, and he stares blearily at Gene like his brain just can't compute what this stranger is doing on his property.

Snaf's eyes are huge, and he stares at him like he's upset he came outside.

Or worried.

Allen's the first one to break the silence.

"Who the fuck is this prick?"

"Gene Sledge," he says automatically, although he manages to stop himself from saying anything like 'it's nice to meet you, sir', or offer a hand to shake. That seems like it's just going to add fuel to whatever fire is going on out here.

Snaf stares at him a beat or two longer before looking back at his father. Gene's expecting him to be defiant, but he sounds more guarded, like he's testing the waters.

"He's a friend. From college."

Allen's eyes narrow again, studying Gene for several seconds longer before turning back to Snaf, voice low and dangerous, accent thick and slurred.

"You think you're better than the rest of us, hangin' out with rich boys like this? You come back here to rub this in my fuckin' face? Like we're all supposed to kiss the ground you walk on?"

Don't do it, Snaf, Gene thinks. Don't do it, don't take the bait-

But of course he does, sneering. "Yeah, better than my white trash, piece of shit father who can't go a fuckin' day without getting drunk off his damn ass-"

Afterward, Gene thinks Snaf must have seen the punch coming. Everything about his body language in the moments leading up to it said he knew what was going to happen and didn't move. His dad's huge fist comes up and connects solidly with Snafu's cheekbone, sending him staggering with an angry red welt already starting to form. He stumbles but doesn't fall, and Gene moves without thinking as his boyfriend's father advances on his son, stepping between them and pulling out a hand to stop him. 

"Get away from him."

Allen Shelton's face contorts with rage. "Get the hell outta my way, who the fuck do you think you are?"

Gene doesn't move, his voice somehow firm and level despite the adrenaline rush already pulsing through him. "Get the hell away from him, or I'm callin' the cops."

"Gene, don't-" Snaf starts to say, reaching out to touch his shoulder without thinking.

That winds up being their mistake.

Allen Shelton's eyes narrow suspiciously, looking Gene over, gears whirring sluggishly in his head as he looks from Gene to his son and back again until the realization dawns on him.

"You whorin' yourself out to this rich pansy?"

Snafu muscles himself between Gene and his dad, getting up in his face and yelling right back. "Jesus Christ, Dad, he's my boyfriend! So the fuck what? What the fuck difference does it make to you?"

"You fucking faggot, you dirty fuckin' _homo_ , you brought this fucking fairy back here to fuck him _under my goddamn roof!_ I thought I beat this shit outta you years ago!"

It doesn't faze Snaf, who just looks madder than hell and screams "Fuck you!", but Gene feels something dizzy and sick rush through him when he hears it. Jesus Christ.

"You fucking queers! This time, I'm gonna make it stick-"

Allen makes a drunken lunge for Gene. Something in Snafu completely snaps, like someone flipped a switch and severed any remaining threads of of rationality.

"Don't fucking touch him!"

Everything else is a blur. Snafu tackles his father, punching, biting, and scratching. He fights like a wild animal, snarling and spitting, but his father's got an easy four inches and seventy pounds on him. Snaf winds up on the driveway, instinctively putting his arms up to shield his head while his father drives his fists into his face. Allen swears incoherently, cussing him out, apparently completely oblivious to the blood on his son's teeth and involuntary yelps of pain. Blood explodes from Snafu's nose, and calling the cops gets shoved out of Gene's mind: he jumps Snafu's dad, hooking a skinny arm around his throat, trying to pull him off. He can hear himself yelling something, but he barely registers the words. Allen Shelton roars, spewing obscenities, turning his fury on Gene. An elbow to his gut knocks the wind out of him, loosening his grip and dropping him to the ground. That just enrages Snafu all the more, getting him up and beating on his father again, screaming at him.

The whoop of a police siren catches Gene's attention, leaving him almost weak with gratitude for a moment even if the other two don't seem to care. One of the neighbors must have called them because of all the yelling and swearing, thank Christ.

Gene rolls onto his stomach and pushes himself up just as they pull up to the house, and watches as two cops come running out and try to separate Snaf and his dad, both of whom fight the officers trying to restrain them.

"Fuck you, old man!" Snafu screams, accent thick, struggling against the cop trying to stop him from tackling his father again. Blood's streaming down his face from his nose and more's streaked on his teeth, but he seems oblivious to that and the rising bruises as he tries to kick out at his dad. "Fuck you, you stupid fuckin' prick!"

"These two're fuckin' trespassin' on my property, I want them fuckin' arrested, goddamn homos!" Allen bellows, completely ignoring the officer trying to hold him back from his son.

"Calm down Allen, Jesus Christ," one of the cops yells, but Allen breaks loose for a moment and lands a vicious kick to Snafu's stomach. Snaf doubles over and Gene hears himself cry out for his boyfriend, rushing to him as the cop lets go of Snafu to help tackle Allen and get him in cuffs.

"Hey- Hey," he murmurs, trying to help him up. He's still shaking with adrenaline, feeling slightly sick.

"Hey, Sledgehamma," Snafu wheezes, accent coming extra thick through blood dripping down his face. Gene wraps an arm around him and pulls him close. Snafu's shoulders slump with exhaustion at the touch. He tucks his face against Gene's neck and lets out a soft noise of discomfort. Gene threads his fingers through his dark curls, holding him tight.

"It's okay," he murmurs, not totally sure why he says it, but needing to say _something_. He strokes his hand through Snafu's hair, dimly registering the tacky feeling of his boyfriend's blood smearing on his skin. He can't stop himself from shuddering at the thought. "It's okay."

Snaf doesn't really respond. He doesn't lift his head, just breathing heavily as the cops finish getting his dad stuffed into the back of the squad car. Allen's still screaming, but it's muffled once the door's been slammed shut.

That done, the cops come back to them, wanting their side of the story. Snaf seems too sore and worn out to be too mouthy, and Gene just tells it how it is: Snafu is home from college, his father came back unexpectedly and assaulted them both.

When the cops ask if they need an ambulance, Snaf perks up and insists that he doesn't need it. Gene's not so sure, but winds up reassuring the cops that no, they don't need to go to the hospital and no, they don't need somewhere to stay. He's taking Snaf back to his parent's house and his dad's a doctor, it'll be fine. If things get worse, he can always just drive him to a hospital himself. Snafu's equally vehement - for better or worse - about not pressing charges, snapping at the cop when he suggests it for a third time in a low, calming voice. It's late, and after sharing a look, the cops seem ready to put this one to bed, which is fine by Gene. Now that the adrenaline's wearing off, he's realizing he's skinned his elbows when Allen threw him off and he's _exhausted_. He can't imagine what Snafu's got to be feeling right now.

(On some level, he understands why Snafu doesn't want to press charges. On another, he's upset about it, something like righteous fury stirring up when he thinks about the man not being behind bars for doing this and getting away with it for so long.)

After they watch the cops drive off with Allen still raging in the back, they head inside. Gene gets Snaf sitting on his bed while he looks for something to get him cleaned up. His face is a mess, and while his nose doesn't seem broken, there's a lot of blood. One of his eyes is already swelling shut. Gene gives him a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a paper towel to help with that, and keeps rooting around the house for something like a first aid kit, eventually returning with a damp washcloth and some band aids.

It hurts, seeing Snaf sit so quietly, with bruises rising on his face and blood drying on his skin. Something in Gene feels busted, and it just gets worse as he starts to wipe his face down, gently cleaning the cuts and blood off his lips and chin. He'd always wondered why Snaf never talked about home, why he'd never mentioned Gene meeting his dad or coming to visit over the summer, and sure, he'd been able to make assumptions or guess why, but now he _knows_. He's angry and upset that it happened, that he couldn't do more to stop it from getting worse, that Snaf had been putting so much at risk just by bringing him home for a couple days, and those emotions just build up more and more as he notices Snaf's avoiding looking at him while he gets a band aid or two on some of the worst cuts.

By the time he's finished, Snafu's looking more meek and vulnerable than Gene's ever seen him, and it makes what he was going to say anyway come even easier.

"Pack your stuff. We're getting out of here."

His boyfriend's shoulders sag and he lets out a heavy, resigned breath.

"Sledge, it's okay. You can just go, you don't hafta stay-"

"Snaf," Gene says, softer this time, reaching up to cup his cheek, trying to get him to look at him. "Pack your stuff."

"Don't feel like you gotta take me with you-"

Gene glares, frustrated, furious with Snaf's dad, irritated with Snaf's own stubbornness and terrible self esteem, mad about this whole nightmarish situation. The only thing he can think to do is reach forward and pull his boyfriend into a firm, deep kiss. Snafu hesitates a beat before kissing back, needy, letting Gene take the lead, staring at him when he pulls back like he genuinely thinks Gene's about to run off on him.

As if.

"Don't be stupid." Gene kisses him again, quick this time, trying to smile. "C'mon, where're your suitcases?"

Snafu looks up at him with wide, pale eyes, disarmed for a reason Gene has never really understood until today. Of course he's offering him this. Snafu knows he loves him, he can't just leave him here. When's he going to realize Gene doesn't think of him as something disposable?

(Can he even realize it, if this is what he comes home to?)

Before he gets a chance to say anything else, Snafu reaches up and pulls him down for another kiss, slipping his tongue into Gene's mouth carefully. His fingertips stroke the back of Gene's neck almost reverently. There's still a little bit of blood in his mouth, but Gene kisses him back without hesitating, keeping it gentle and loving, wanting to keep it up until all the hurt and uncertainty's pushed to the back of Snafu's mind, but wanting to get him out of here more.

When the kiss ends, Gene threads a hand through Snafu's hair, pulling him close, pressing their foreheads together.

"I'm not leaving without you."

Snafu closes his eyes with an exhausted sigh, pressing back. He slides one hand up under Gene's t-shirt, stroking his side absently.

"Why?"

"You know why." Gene kisses him again, making it sweet and long, trying to soothe him as much as he can even though he still wants to just get him the hell out of here as fast as possible. And, because he knows Snafu needs to hear it, even if he probably still doesn't quite believe him when he says it: "I love you."

For a moment or two, Snafu doesn't say anything. When his response finally comes, it's low and quiet, almost guilty. "Love you too."

"C'mon. Let's get going."

It doesn't take long: as it turns out, there's not much Snaf actually wants to take with him. Gene helps him haul the suitcases to the truck and climbs into the driver's seat, looking over to make sure Snaf's okay... Or as okay as can be expected, anyway. His boyfriend's still got the packet of peas pressed to his eye, and tries to give him something like a crooked smile when he notices Gene's looking at him, but it's strained. Gene leans over to kiss him before he starts the truck, squeezing his thigh reassuringly.

They drive in silence all the way to Mobile. Gene keeps glancing over to check on Snafu, brushing a hand over his arm or his thigh, trying to keep him from getting too tangled up in his own head. Finally, Snaf just grabs onto his hand, lacing their fingers together, and Gene squeezes gently, trying to keep him centered and present as much as he can.

It's a comfort in some ways when they're finally driving through the woods that lead up to his childhood home, but Snaf looks so small staring up at the big house once Gene pulls up and parks the truck and it's enough to make him wonder if this was a mistake. A part of him wishes that there was somewhere else they could've gone, maybe more neutral territory, but Gene doesn't know where else that would've taken them on such short notice that was guaranteed to be safe and comfortable.

They haul the bags out of the truck and carefully enter the house. It's strange not to be greeted by Deacon barking and rushing forward to sniff his shoes and climb up his leg to get his ears scratched, but Gene's still so heartsick about what happened tonight that it's easy not to focus on that.

"Room's up this way," Gene whispers, pointing to the stairs, and they both creep up them quickly, trying not to make any noise or put on any lights. Snafu remains strangely quiet and obedient, slipping into Gene's room without saying a word about the house or the decor, or the fact that Gene's parents are probably asleep down the hall and might like to know that their son's sneaking around with his boyfriend. It's not exactly how he imagined bringing Snafu home for the first time.

Not that Snaf probably expected Gene's first visit home going the way it did.

(Or maybe he did, and that's why he'd kept putting it off.)

Gene closes the door behind them and lets Snaf take a moment to look around the bedroom, starting to slip out of his clothes. There are a couple cluttered bookshelves and an old plush dog he'd dragged around with him _everywhere_ as a kid, but his clothes are neat in the closet, the floor's clear, the paint's fresh and tidy. It's still his space in a way Snafu's room hadn't been, and by the time Gene turns around, his boyfriend's looking back at him with that same vulnerable expression he'd had when Gene had cleaned his face up. The bruises are dark and painful looking, but what he winds up saying hurts more.

"You sure?"

(Like Gene's going to stick him in the truck and send him back to New Orleans.)

"Yes." Gene nods firmly, stepping closer to help him slip off his t-shirt so he doesn't fuck up his bruised face any worse. "Lie down, Snaf."

They slide into bed. Gene's mattress is a little wider than what they're used to, but they crowd together anyway, tucked under the blankets and tangled together. Snafu nuzzles in against Gene's neck, burrowing close while Gene makes sure he's got the quilt pulled up over his bare shoulders.

"Feel like I'm dreamin'," he murmurs, wrapping an arm around Gene's waist.

"You're not," Gene reassures him, running a hand through his hair. He's tired, exhausted, but not exactly sure he's going to be able to sleep for a while. He can't stop thinking about the noises Snaf had made when his dad hit him, and he wants to hold him for a while.

Honestly, he's sort of expecting Snafu to fall asleep first, but Snaf surprises him with a quiet murmur, pressing his mouth against his neck.

"'m sorry." He takes a deep breath, pushing even closer. "It was dumb to take you there."

"Don't." Gene's voice is firm, steady, and he keeps running his hand through his hair. Some of his own guilt slips into his voice when he continues. "I wish I could've kicked his ass for you"

That gets a soft snort. "Thought that counts, Hammer."

They're quiet for a moment, Gene staring at the ceiling, struggling to find the right thing to say. Snaf doesn't have anywhere else to run, and he doesn't want to spook him when they've still got four days of break ahead of them.

"I'm glad you're here."

"Yeah."

After a while, Snaf's fingers start to trail idly down his bare stomach and Gene shivers, heat rising in his cheeks. It feels good, and he's not sure if it's just his boyfriend tracing random patterns into his skin until his fingers glide a little lower and-

"Snaf, don't," he whispers, reaching blindly for his wrist to stop him from pulling down his boxers. "You don't have to do that. You don't owe me anything."

"Maybe I just wanna suck you off," Snaf says, frank and unrepentant like usual as he lifts his other hand to start tracing Gene's cock through the fabric, smirking at the shaky breath Gene pulls in.

"You've got a split lip," Gene reminds him, squirming, trying to keep it together because he really, really doesn't want this to be some fucked up thing, like maybe Snaf thinks this is the only reason Gene keeps him around, because it's never been like that.

"Fine, fine, no blowjob, quit fuckin' fussing-" And then his hand's shoved down Gene's shorts and wrapped firmly around his stiffening cock.

Gene whimpers quietly as Snaf jerks him off, rocking his hips carefully into his familiar grip. He's not really sure where to look, because usually he wants Snaf's face in sight when they have sex, but the bruises and everything else still make him feel guilty, like they shouldn't be doing this after what happened.

"It's okay, Sledgehammer," Snafu murmurs, bending in close to suck and bite at his collarbone, darkening a possessive bruise he'd put there a day or two ago, making Gene's toes curl involuntarily. A kiss is pressed there, and then Snafu murmurs "It's okay, I'm okay," and it's not really enough for Gene to forget the rest of it, but it's enough to soothe something in him for this. He wraps his arms around Snafu's shoulders, tangling a hand in his hair and holds on, moaning softly.

Snafu's strokes get faster, and it's when he thumbs at the head of Gene's cock that Gene just can't take it anymore, coming hard and fast. Snafu kisses him fiercely to help smother his pleasured cries - thank God, because that would make an unusual homecoming all the more awkward - and bites his lip gently while he rides out the aftershocks.

Once he feels like he's got his breath back, Gene cups Snafu's face carefully, avoiding the bruises, trying to focus on his eyes and not the injuries.

He's always really liked Snaf's eyes.

"You want me to-?"

Snafu shakes his head, leaning in to press his forehead to Gene's. "Nah. I'm good."

"You sure?"

An eye roll is the only response he gets before Snaf gets up to look for a t-shirt or towel to clean Gene up, wiping carefully at his pale skin before cleaning off his hand. "I'd tell you if I wasn't."

 _Would you?_ Gene can't help but wonder, stroking a hand anxiously up his boyfriend's arm.

Snafu tosses the t-shirt aside and moves to lie back down, but before he can get settled, Gene props himself up on his elbows, reaching up to grip his arm gently.

"Hey-"

He pulls him into another kiss, open mouthed but sweet, threading his fingers through his dark curls. The split lip presents a problem, and he tries to be mindful of it, pleased when he feels Snaf sigh and relax into it.

When the kiss ends, he doesn't let Snafu pull back far, slipping a hand down to cup the back of his neck and keep him close. Stuff like this makes Snafu uncomfortable, he knows, but he needs to say this and hopes it actually sinks in this time. Snaf has to know.

"I love you." It's fond, firm, he means it. No questions. But he smiles too, trying to soften or at least blunt the intensity a little bit. "Not just because you made me come."

To his credit, Snaf doesn't bolt or try to squirm away from the contact, just letting out a shaky breath and nodding slowly.

"I know." His fingers brush over Gene's thigh, absent this time instead of teasing. Again, there's something hesitant or guilty in the way he echoes Gene's words. "You too, Gene."

Snafu lies down, and Gene settles next to him, turning on his side to watch him once they're back under the blankets and comfortable. Snaf's curled up like a cat, knees pressing against Gene's thighs, and he already seems halfway to sleep when he speaks, mumbling thickly, "What the fuck're you gonna tell your parents?"

"I'll come up with something." What, he doesn't quite know, but he's comfortable in his knowledge that they're safe here. No matter what his parents say, they're not going to be in trouble for coming back here. "Don't worry."

A soft grunt is all he gets out of Snaf before his breathing deepens and evens out into sleep. It's good to hear, but Gene stays awake for a long time after Snafu drifts off. He tries to let his boyfriend's sleepy breathing soothe the tangle of emotions in his rib cage, but he can still see the mess of bruises and cuts on Snafu's skin. Gene can't quite shake the knowledge that this isn't the first time it happened, that it could happen again, and it's not fair. He's not going to be able to sleep for a while.

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of a The Pacific/Band of Brothers college AU I've been working on and intend on posting more of at some point in the future. The K Company guys are all in the same year living in the same dorm with the obvious exception of Ack Ack and Hillbilly. The college is fictional, located ~somewhere in Florida~ and this is loosely set in present day.


End file.
